Sicilian Defence (1 e4 c5), then Mainline or Anti?

e4c5nf3nc6 is weird

just kidding

I roll like Deep Blue, love that Alapin mainline.

My repertoire as Black during my days on the chess circuit  included the Sicilian Najdorf.  Naturally because there are so many transpositions away from the Najdorf I had to learn the Closed Sicilian.  The closed Sicilian is the most sound theoretically opening for White to use against the open Sicilian.  However it is very positional if Black allows it to be, which the Black player will choose not to allow that.  The Black player that plays the Sicilian is looking for a tactical attacking game.  Having played both sides of the Closed Sicilian and its many transpositional possibilities, it is the calmest diversion from the Sicilian Open.  In the Closed Sicilian White finds himself in the awkward position of having to adopt Black's second player outlook.  In effect he is saying the strange statement, "you are Black, the onus is on you to win.)  With this reverse psychology Black might be tempted to take more risk than is warranted for the position.  While White is playing solid boring chess.

I wouldn't trust the numbers from Game Explorer.  There are far superior game databases.  ChessBase being one of them.

Many Najdorfheads meet 2.Nc3 with 2...a6 which is a mighty good move.

yes i play 2 a6 against 2 Nc3

Wikibooks say: "The main problem with this variation is how to deal with 3. c3..." If this is so, why s it so? The stats are very good for white!

I think you will find Mal that the c3 variation here is after 1e4 c5 2 Nf3 a6 3c3 not 1e4 c5 2Nc3 a6 and 3c3 is impossible....

I think a6 after Nc3 is very promising and is a good answer to the Closed Sicilian and Grand Prix attack.

I think it was a World Champion by the name of Anatoly Karpov who used to play 1.e4 c5 2,Nf3 d6 3.a4.

But I don't want to get into details about my repertoire, especially secrets about transpositions.

Ziggy_Zugzwang wrote: "I think you will find Mal that the c3 variation here is after 1e4 c5 2 Nf3 a6 3c3 not 1e4 c5 2Nc3 a6 and 3c3 is impossible..."

 Apologies I got locked into thinking 2. Nc6 is always the second move... 

As someone who plays 2. Nc3 fairly often nowadays I think 2...a6 is possibly the most annoying response, and I'd recommend it over 2...d6 for a Najdorf player

I'm still highly confused by this and one of your other posts but I'm glad this thread has helped

I'm not surprised, just try and forget posts #54 and #56. I'll try and be more careful next time. What was the other post?

That is all interesting about transpositions. When I play Sicilian as Black (with the time, I am coming to the conclusion that 1. ... c5 is probably the best against 1.e4 in case you are not in a great need of a solid position and having nothing against a draw), upon 1.e4 c5 2.c3 (Alapin), I am fond of 2. ... Nf6. And against Smith-Morra gambit, as Black, after 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cd 3.c3, along with 3. ... dc, I also play 3. ... Nf6.

I recall Schvesnikov, who wrote what many think is the book on the c3 Sicilian thought 2..Nf6 was the best move for black...

But you know, c3 practitioners, those cousins of London System players, are like old misers with finger-less woolen mittens, that count their coins by candlelight, wondering whether their deviant behaviour will illicit a knock on the door from the authorities...They will be expecting Nf6 and they will know their little opening schemes like petty criminals who know how to evade the law by knowing all of the small print.

I am really not sure which of the three popuar (2. ... Nf6, 2. ... d5, or 3. ... e6) is the best against 2.c3 (and besides, there are also 2. ... d6, 2. ... Nc6, 2. ... g6, and "even" 2. ... e5, and other, quite playable for Black against 2.c3). And another thing which I cannot explain is why 2.c3 is not to my taste as White. As for White, upon 1.e4 c5, I tried many ways, but the most appealing to me are the two of them, 2.b4!? Sicilian Wing Gambit (which I face from time to time in blitz games as Black, too, and even once in a Vote Chess game, also as Black ), and the normal 2.Nf3. After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 - along with the usual (and good) 3.d4, for the last 3 or 4 months I've been also working on 3.c3 (3.c3 Nf6 4.Qc2 is the field of my exploration), as for 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 - along with the usual (and good) 3.d4, I am also fond of 3.b3 - just to have playable alternatives to 3.d4.

And as for Sveshnikov - I don't remember how his book about the e7-e5 variation as Black in the Sicilian defense got to me, but the more I was reading it (I mean, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5), the more I began to like the idea of e7-e5 (but of course, the Dragon with g7-g6 is quite a wide and interesting field for exploration, too).

Of course, after 1.e4 c5, besides the main 2.Nf3 with 3.d4 and the Alapin 2.c3, White has really many other not bad and quite playable ways such as the Closed Sicilian, the really correct Smith-Morra Gambit, my favorite Sicilian Wing Gambit 2.b4, then there is also 2.f4 which I face rather often in the blitz games, and many other. And when playing 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 as Black, with intention of the above said 5. ... e5, Black also has to be ready to face the Rossolimo 3.Bb5. The only thing I wanted to say is that I am glad that finally I have begun practicing seriously 1. ... c5 as Black against 1.e4.

Do you have that book? I saw it in the Chess shop in Baker St. London on Saturday. It's massive!